Member Reviews
fans of boy bands and broadway musicals will be into this one— it gave me (weirdly) grown-up camp rock or high school musical vibes kinda? on paper, i should have been super into it, but it just didn’t do it for me. i think this author just isn’t my vibe because i felt this way about her first book too… it’s me, hi, i’m the problem!!!
i think i just never really bought the chemistry between cal and katee??
anywho, second chance romance fans who love celebs and summer camps and theater kids-turned-adults, this one’s for you!
⭐️⭐️— it was okay! #radtwostarreads
I read and loved her last book, Funny You Should Ask, so I was super excited to read Once More with Feeling! I loved the banter between Kathleen and Cal, and I love a good second chance Romance! I also enjoyed the pop culture theme and getting an idea of that world though the characters!
Kathleen Rosenberg is living the life she has always dreamed of - she is a famous pop star who has risen to popularity and she’s dating Cal, one of the members of CrushCore. But when she finds herself in the arms of another member of CrushCore, her fame crashes and reality isn’t all its cracked up to be. Years later she’s presented with an opportunity to play a starring role in a Broadyway show, she is thrilled, until she realizes none other than Cal is directing it. Will they be able to put away their differences or will the flame reignite them together again?
After reading and loving Funny You Should Ask last year, I jumped at the chance to read her latest book, Once More with Feeling! I really loved the dual timeline and seeing so many aspects about their past and how they knew each other. There was a lot of witty banter and fun moments between Kathleen and Cal, although at times Kathleen was a bit much for me.I didn’t really enjoy her character at all - I wish the author had spent more time developing them. I’m not big on theatre (although I love going to see some Broadway shows) but thought this was an interesting look into that side of things! I can definitely see where people think this was inspired by the Britney Spears and Justin Timeberlake drama from back in the day. Overall I think I liked Funny You Should Ask more than this one, but it was still a good read! If you enjoy second chance romance mixed with some pop culture elements you may also like this one.
The newest novel by Elissa Sussman follows former pop star Kathleen as she attempts to leave her life of fame in the past, but it just keeps seeming to come back to her. With a dual timeline, we follow her alongside Cal, weaving their past and present together as a too good to be true opportunity is being offered to Kathleen, that requires her to face the past and all of its complications. The story is a perfect blend of second-chance romance, fame/popstars, and broadway/musical theatre and will hit the spot for someone who enjoys these tropes and topics.
This book is definitely not meant for me, but has so much potential for someone else. The messiness of the second chance romance did not land the best for me, and caused me to not enjoy any of the characters. I also think that the characters could have been more distinctly described and differentiated to create a more engaging experience. Overall the book was an enjoyable read on a long road trip, one I could read in one sitting, but did not pull me in either direction strongly. I did enjoy the storytelling with Crushzone and the use of a boyband, even though fame and singers in books are not usually my cup of tea.
It's clear that Elissa has carved out an interesting niche with her "then and now" storytelling style, and I appreciate the flow and pace it offers. However, as a non-theatre person, some parts of the book a bit challenging to get through, although I still enjoyed it more than you initially expected. So even if the thought of theatre kids may seem a bit cringey, it actually offers up a lot of heartwarming moments (and let’s be real, some cringe too). While the book may have its moments that might be less engaging for non-theatre enthusiasts, it still manages to deliver an enjoyable overall experience.
"Once More with Feeling" ultimately is a story that explores the complexities of relationships-both romantic and non-romantic (which I appreciated)- and the consequences of past decisions, all set against the backdrop of the entertainment industry. The contrast between Katee's life as a pop star and Kathleen's more ordinary existence adds depth to the narrative, and the tension between the characters, especially between Katee and Cal, promises a compelling and dramatic story. Although, I think Cal could have been a bit more developed.
Overall, I think this can appeal to both fans of theatre and those looking for a story with engaging character dynamics and a blend of past and present narratives.
This is such a fun book with great characters. I love that you feel as if you're in the situations the characters are in. Great love story that has a very clever title!! I have recommended it to many friends and can't wait to hear what they say.
It's official...Elissa Sussman can do no wrong. This one was just as good as her previous release, if not better. I ate this up in one sitting (and can we talk about how gorgeous the matching covers are for her books??)!!
I am a huge Elissa Sussman fan. I love this Britney/JC reimagining that shows that Justin was always a jerk. Love the love letter to Broadway. This book was a delight to read.
Katee was a big name pop star in her early 20s, but she’s “cancelled” when it comes out that she cheated on Ryan, a CrushZone boy band member. She goes back to an ordinary life until Cal, another member of the infamous boy band approaches her about starring in a new Broadway show; a role that was written for Katee specifically.
They haven’t spoken in many years, especially since Katee (now Kathleen) has left the spotlight. But this is such a big opportunity and the role Kathleen has always dreamed of performing. She thinks she can handle being close to Cal as long as she doesn’t let him in too close. But they have incredible chemistry and the rehearsals lead to long hours. Is it ever a good idea to stir up the past?
I really enjoyed this one! As a millennial who grew up during the height of boy bands and pop music, this really resonated with me. I really felt for Katee who has the rug pulled out from under her when there were two parties involved. I love the premise of a Broadway show getting started. I loved the dual timelines and just the whole story. Very well done.
Thank you @penguinrandhomhouse and @elissa_sussman for my gifted copy. Once More With Feeling is out now! If you love Broadway and pop music, I highly suggest checking out the show @andjulietbway! 💝
Once More with Feeling has a "then" and "now" timeline and that really worked for this story. The author did a great job weaving in and out of these story lines to slowly reveal our main character's past. This definitely has certain references that make you think Elissa Sussman grabbed inspiration from certain pop stars in the past, but it didn't feel like a copied story. It was very well written.
Katee had the pop star career she dreamed of (well kind of) and a boyfriend that was in a popular boyband. I have to say I couldn't stand him and definitely don't get his appeal, but that's a different story, haha. We slowly see Katee getting close to Cal (and I so wish we got chapters from his POV) that's a bit nerdy, but seems so genuine. She ends up sleeping with Cal before breaking up with Ryan and that basically blew up her career. After reading the first part of Katee's story I have to say I would never want to be a pop star ever! That life seems horrible.
Now it's so many years later and Cal ends up being the director of the musical her best friend wrote that they want to get to broadway. Let's just say we get a bumpy road. I loved seeing different aspects of broadway and Katee slowly starting to believe in herself again and her talent. The banter between Cal and Katee was the best and I loved seeing the tension there and them slowly letting feelings back in. Things get messy, but we all know we'll get a happily ever after!
There were certain aspects I would've loved just a little bit more of, like Katee and Harriet talking things out, but all in all I really enjoyed this book. Dual timelines don't always work, but this author knows how to balance them out and make you love these characters.
This review will also be published on thebookdutchesses.com on September 14th!
I enjoyed the storyline of this, the Broadway setting and the witty banter. I unfortunately feel like I can’t recommend it to my audience because of the excessive use of the f word. I just find it completely unnecessary in a fun romance like this, it was a real turn off for me.
All my favorite troupes in a book about musical theater? Sign me up!! In Once More With Feeling we meet Kathleen, a former pop star who fell from grace when it was discovered that she cheated on her boy band boyfriend with an old flame, Cal. Kathleen and Cal met at musical theater camp when they were kids. In a jump from the past to the present we find out how their relationship fell apart in the past, and how it is affecting their time making a musical that is due to be on Broadway in the present. Can they get over their old feelings and work together professionally, or is this a recipe for disaster.
I found this book to be a super fun and quick romance read. I loved jumping from the past and the present, and I'm a sucker for an enemies to lovers troupe. Kathleen felt like such a real character to me, she was fully developed and I loved that, and I felt like the steam and passion between her and Cal was very realistic. The ending was perfect and made my heart sing, no pun intended. I loved this romance, look forward to reading more by this author in the future.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book. All opinions within this review are my own.
This book seemed fun but it didn't work for me as well as I thought it would. I didn't feel the chemistry between the two love interests. It was a fun premise though and I know lots of other people really loved this book!
Once More with Feeling is such a great book, especially if you are a fan of pop music, musical theater and random rom com pop culture references. It was like a fun scavenger hunt to find little quotes and references throughout the book. I thought it was so well written and the right amount of everything, the flashbacks, the now scenes and a mix of drama and romance. I really loved Cal and Kathleen and their growth through the book and how everything was eventually resolved. Would totally watch this as a movie, make it happen!
I received this book in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley.
I really enjoyed Sussman's previous novel, so I was excited to see if her second was similar. I'm happy to report that I liked it nearly as much. Much like her last novel, the author draws on a pop culture event, this time Britney and Justin. The story draws plenty of inspiration from their story, most notably the cheating scandal, the actual storyline is quite different. In this novel, the Britney character is staging a comeback via Broadway, Justin is mercifully mostly left out of the present day narrative, and the love interest is the bandmate she cheated with.
While we do see the main character Kathleen grow quite a bit, it felt a little too late. She was quite unlikable in the present day narrative, though I was much more sympathetic to the past version of her. During some parts of the story it was easy to get quite frustrated with her, and I would have liked her to have a bit more self awareness.
Overall I enjoyed the book and it was a fun, easy read,
Overall, this was a cute story and a quick read. However, I wanted to like the characters more and I would have liked a little more romance shown. I did like the way the story was told in dual timelines.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.
I was hoping I'd like this one but it just wasn't for me. I think I made it four chapters before DNFing. Characters were lacking for me and just simply not enjoyable to read about. Bummer because I usually love a second chance romance. Maybe celebrity romances aren't for me!
I loved this author's last book, so I'm sad that this didn't quite do it for me. I had a hard time connecting to these characters, and the pace felt off. That being said, I'll certainly try more books from this author!
I love fake celebrities and a second chance romance.
I was rooting for them, but also kind of found them annoying and wanted them to snap out of it and grow up. Maybe Cal’s perspective would’ve helped.
This one didn’t quite hit like funny you should ask, but it was enjoyable.
I absolutely loved Sussman's debut (it was one of my favorite reads of last year), so I've been eagerly anticipating this one! I was not let down -- while I didn't love it quite as much as Funny You Should Ask, it still scratched the itch I'd had for a year.
One of my favorite things about Sussman's writing is her pacing -- it's fast and keeps you absolutely absorbed from start to finish. Her quick wit and humour were evident yet again in this book, and while it's not as "spicy" romantic as some books, I still absolutely adored the dynamic between Kathleen and Cal.
Can't wait to see what she writes next!